Computer BIOS protection and authentication

In some embodiments, a wagering game machine includes: a carrier board comprising a first network port and a second network port, the first network port having a first network address and the second network port having a second network address; a processor located on the carrier board; a first nonvolatile memory located on the carrier board and communicatively coupled to the first network port, the first nonvolatile memory configured to store the first network address; and a second nonvolatile memory located on the carrier board, wherein the second nonvolatile memory is configured to store Basic Input and Output System (BIOS) code that includes a system BIOS code and an application BIOS code, wherein the BIOS code is hardware write-protected, wherein the processor is configured to derive the second network address from the first network address during execution of boot-up operations of the apparatus.